Fbank sheeley



F. SHIRLEY.

TOE SPREADER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 27.1917.

1 95,74Q. Pa'nented J 111m 3', 1919.

, v S i zfy,

FRANK SHIRLEY, OF PHOENIX, ARIZONA.

memes.

Specification of Letters Patent.

TOE-SPREADER.

Application filed November 27, 1917. Serial No. 204,162.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, FRANKSHIRLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Phoenix, in the county of Maricopa and State of Arizona,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toe-Spreaders, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The present invention comprehends generally improvements in chiropodistsappliances and more particularly has reference to a toe spreader.

It is the primary aim and object of this invention'to provide a deviceof the above mentioned character designed to be applied between the toesof a person to hold the toes in suitable spaced relation to enable theperson or chiropodist to readily treat corns, calli, and other skinexcrescences formed on the sides of the toes.

As an equally important object the invention contemplates the provisionof a toe spreader wherein the construction is novel while the spreadingelement is resilient and assures of the retention of the device inposition.

More particularly, this invention embraces the provision of a toespreader wherein improved means are employed for connecting the toeengaging elements to the spreading element topermit the toe engagingelements to readily adjust themselves against adjacent toes and at thesame time this improved means permits of the arrangement of thespreading element at various angles or positions with respect to thefoot to consequently enable the chiropodist to employ both hands whentreating the foot.

Among the other aims and objects of this invention may be recited theprovision of a device of the character described with a View tocompactness, and in which the number of parts are few, the constructionsimple and the cost of production low and the elliciency hi h.

ther improvements and novel details in theconstruction and arrangementof the various parts of the apparatus will be brought out more in detailin the description to follow, which, for a clear understanding of theinvention, should be considered in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part hereof, and wherein is disclosed, for thepurpose of illustration, a convenient and satisfactory embodiment of theinvention, It is to be noted, in this connection,

that minor changes in the construction and arrangement of the parts maybe made without departing from thespirit of the invent on or theprinciple of operation of the various parts.

The invention, in its preferred form, is clearly illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which V Figure 1 is a perspective View of thedeviceapplied between adjacent toes of a foot;

F 1g. 2 is a front elevation of the invention applied between adjacenttoes, in section, the dotted lines indicating one of the directions orpositions in whichthe device may be swung;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary tional detail; and

Fig. 4 is a front elevational detail. 7

'Similar characters of reference are employed inall of the abovedescribed views to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, there isprovided a spreading element 1 which may be and preferably is formedfrom a single strip of relatively narrow resilient metal, the elementbeing slightly bowed longitudinally throughout the greater portion ofits length as at 2 while the respective end portions 3 thereof arerelatively flat and formed with openings 4. Arcuate toe engagingelements 5 having rounded end edges are now employed and are desirablyformed of the same kind of material used in making the spreadingelement 1. These elements 5 act as clamps and are provided midway theirlengths with openings 6. Rivets 7 or like fasteners are now passedthrough the openings 6 and 4 for swiveling or swingingly connecting the.toe engaging elements or clamps 5 to the end portions 3 of thespreading element 1.

In use, the spreading element 1 is held in one hand and bent into asubstantially U- shaped form while the opposed toe engaging elements orclamps 5 are positioned against the inner sides of opposed toes asindicated in Fig. 1. The device is now released so that the tension ofthe spreading element 1 will act to spread the toes and enable eitherthe user or chiropodist to employ both hands when treating a corn 8 orother skin eX- crescence formed on either or both of the adjacent toes.Owin to the provision of the rivets or fasteners the spreading elementmay be swung to assume different positions longitudinal sec- 7 PatentedJ une 3, 1919. V

with respect to the foot so as not to interfere with the treating of thecorn.

It is believed in view of the foregoing description that a furtherdetailed description is entirely unnecessary and likewise it is believedthat the advantages of the invention will be readily apparent. However,it may be mentioned that the device may be also used by manicurists forholding the fingers in spreading relation, if desired.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope thereof it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingsshall be interpreted as illustrative, and not in a limited sense, it isalso to be understood that the language used in the following claim isintended to cover all the generic and specific features of the inventionherein described and all statements of the scope of the invention, whichas a matter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

Having thus fully described this inven- Copies of this patent may beobtained for five cents each, by addressing the tion what is claimed anddesired to be secured by Letters Patent is i toe spreader of thecharacter described comprising a pair of toe engaging clamps each ofwhich is formed from a single strip of relatively narrow resilient metalbent into an arcuate form, a spreading element also formed from a singleelongated strip of relatively narrow resilient metal slightly bowedlongitudinally and having relatively fiat end portions, fastenerspassing through the medial portions of the clamps and the end portionsof the element for sw-ingingly connecting the clamps to the outersurfaces of the end portions of the element so that the element whenbowed upon itself will exert a tension on the clamps to hold them inposition, and the fasteners also permitting of the swinging of theelement in various directions when the clamps are held in position a bythe element.

In testimony whereof I aiiix 1n signature.

FRANK S IRLEY. Witnesses:

HAZE B03011, A. M. DALY.

co missioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G.

